Wednesday, January 27, 2010

MOLLY GUMNUT RESCUES A BANDICOOT

Dear Agent,

Molly Mavis Gumnut has an important mission. She doesn’t care if she gets in trouble for disobeying her parents and yelling at the neighbour, and she won’t keep her opinions to herself. MOLLY GUMNUT RESCUES A BANDICOOT is an MG adventure novel, complete at 32,000 words, and aimed at independent readers aged eight to eleven.

When eight-year-old Molly rescues a baby bandicoot from the claws of her neighbor’s cat, she falls in love with him and carries him home to bandage his wounds. She names the long-nosed critter Furble and wants to protect him forever, but her father won’t let her keep him. Molly learns that bandicoots are protected native animals and she has no choice but to hand him over to her grandmother, a member of a wildlife rescue. Grandma plans to release Furble back to his own territory when he’s well enough, but that’s where the big mean cat lives. Molly can’t let that happen and comes up with an idea to save him. She kidnaps Furble and takes him on a dangerous journey to find him a safer home. Her plans are spoiled when she comes across danger – danger much worse than a cat.

This is my second completed Molly Gumnut novel in a series and both are stand-alone books. I’m an active member of a wildlife rescue in Australia. I also photograph and film native animals and have had some wildlife articles published in our village newsletter. I’m an active member of the NSW Writers’ Centre and I use writing forums and critique groups every day.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you and my full manuscript is available upon request.

4 comments:

This sounds like a really great book. Here's a few suggestions for you, I've rewritten it the way I think sounds better (just so it isn't confusing where I've put things. :) )

Molly Mavis Gumnut has an important mission. She doesn’t care if she gets in trouble for disobeying her parents and yelling at the neighbour, and she won’t keep her opinions to herself.

When eight-year-old Molly rescues a baby bandicoot from the claws of her neighbor’s cat, she falls in love with him and carries him home to bandage his wounds, wanting to protect him forever. She names him Furble, but her father won’t let her keep him because bandicoots are protected native animals. She has no choice but to hand him over to her grandmother, a member of a wildlife rescue. Grandma plans to release Furble back to his own territory when he’s well enough, but that’s where the big mean cat lives. Molly can’t let that happen and kidnaps him to find him a safer home. Her plans are spoiled when she comes across danger – danger much worse than a cat.

MOLLY GUMNUT RESCUES A BANDICOOT is an MG adventure novel, complete at 32,000 words, and aimed at independent readers aged eight to eleven.

I’m an active member of a wildlife rescue in Australia. I also photograph and film native animals and have had some wildlife articles published in our village newsletter. I’m an active member of the NSW Writers’ Centre and I use writing forums and critique groups every day.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

I would leave the series information off for now. It might turn some agents off. If they want to know, then you can tell them. Also, I wouldn't say a full manuscript is available upon request because they already know this.

I agree with jasouders. Her suggestions are spot on (if that's not too dorky to say.) My mind started wandering a little after that first paragraph, but with some rearranging you should be good. :) Good luck!